Washing machine



Feb. 10, 1942. D. B. D. BLAKE WASHING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed NOV. 23, v1938 mgl.

" Jefw ma *man fill/(lly A Feb. 10, 1942. D, B. D BLAKE 2,272,541 WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov'. 23V, 1938 3 sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1942. D B D BLAKE 2,272,541

WASHING MACHINE Filed Nov.` 23, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,df/M495.

Patented Feb. 10, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WASHING MACHINE Dennis En. Blake; Danville, Ill.v Application November 23, 193s, serial No. 241,944

(cl. fsa-133) 2 claims.

My invention relates to washing machinesand more particularly to an improved agitating arrangement and driving mechanismtherefor.

One object of my invention is to devise' a wasii` ing machine-in which the detergent action is effected by agitating devices which periodically reverse the movement of the pieces being washed and direct masses ofwaterralong opposite sides of and through the pieces.

A further object is to provide a machine of thecharacter indicated having cooperating agitating devices which., create a water turbulence that tumbles and shifts the piecesto and fro in the cleaning uid and substantially free of contact with the enclosing basket.

A further object is to devise a washing machine having agitating devices arranged in a pair of groups which oscillate in opposite directions and act to virtually suspend the pieces therebetween by water movements induced by the agitators. l

'I'hese and further objectsof my linvention, will be set forth in the following specication, reference being had t'o the accompanying drawings, and tli'e novel means by which said objects are arrows, and showing the arrangement for making and breaking the driving connection to the agitating devices; and l Fig. 5 is an enlarged, vertical sectional velevation of the basket for receiving the pieces tobe washed and the general relation of the agitating devices.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral Ill designates a casing that may be supported by the usual casters I-I and which has secured tothe interior thereof a plurality of brackets I2 that are spacedaround the casing. These brackets hereinafter described. One of these elementsl is" a motor I 6 that is supportedv on va, convenient pad provided on the strut I5 and to theshaft of the motor is secured a -pulley l'l that is connected through a belt I8 with a second pulley I Sthat` drives aworm 20. 'I'his worm meshes on one side thereof with a worm gear 2I that is drivably secured to a vertical shaft 22 which is intended to operate any desired type of wringermechanism (not shown). l

The worm 20 also meshes with a worm gear 23 (see Fig. 4) that is freely rotatable on an endwise movable vertical shaft 24 whose ends arejournaled 4in a housing 25 that is `also supported by the strut I5. Driving connection between the worm gear v23 and the shaft 2li is effected by means of a pair of clutch pins 26 whose upper ends are fixedin a clutch disk 21 and Whose lower ends are freely received within perforations provided in -the gear 23. Thefdisk 21 is pinned to the shaft 24 and is normally urgedvdownwardly `to drivably engage thev pins 26 with the gear 23 leiiectuated will be definitely pointed. out inthe l by a spring 28 that encircles the shaft 24, ther lower end of the spring abutting against the top y surface of the disk 21 and thelupper end against l the top of the housing 25.

. Theshaft 24 extends upwardly through the top of the yhousing 25 and has secured thereto an arm 29 whose `hub portion is provided with a flange 30. A roller 3| bearsagainst the. under surface of lthis flange and is mounted on one end of a lever 32 that is intermediately pivoted on a bracket 33 which is supported by the strut I5, while the opposite end of this lever'is bifurcated.v as at 34 to embrace an eccentric pin 35 secured to a rock l shaft 36. This rock shaft projects through the support a tub I3 that opens upwardly and which may be closed by the usual 'cover I4.

'I'he ,casing IU is indicated as possessing a cirg cular shape, but may have other configurations and, at a convenient distance from the bottom thereof, the casing wall is strengthened by a multi-armed strut Il that is also utized as -a support for other elementsY of the machinefas arm 4I whose hub portion enclrcles and is secured casing I0 and is provided with a handle 31. By this arrangement,` it is possible to rock the lever 32 upwardly fromA the position shown in Fig. 4 to thereby interrupt the flowv of power between the worm gear 23 and the shaft 24 fora purpose I presently explained. i The arm 29 has pivotal connection with an arm 38 which in turn ls connected to a similar This link may beformed of any desiredV material and possesses `suilicient rigidity to transmitthe required power between the arms 1.38 and 40 but is capable iof exing or bending slightly in vertical directions arm 40 by means of a link39.

to permit of the endwise shifting of the shaft 24 by the lever 32. This arrangement obviates any necessity for pivotally connecting the ends of the link 39 to the arms 38 and 4U.

The arm 40 has pivotal connection with a crank to a sleeve 42 that is concentric with the axis of the casing l and whose lower end is secured to the upper end of a sleeve 44 that extends downwardly for securement to the hub of a bevel pinion 45. The pinion 45 meshes with a pair of intermediate bevel gears 46 which also mesh with a bevel gear 41 that is secured to the lower end of an agitator shaft 48.

' The sleeve 42 extends upwardly through the bottom of the tub I3 and coaxial therewith and is journaled in a concentric sleeve 48 Whose lower end is mounted in thebottom of the tub. At

its upper end, the sleeve 42 is keyed to the upper end of a concentric sleeve 50 that encloses the sleeve 49, but is spaced therefrom, and at its lower end is provided with an annular flange I that is secured to the bottom of a cylindrical basket 52 whose bottom andl peripheral wall may. be perforated in the usual manner. Only a few of these perforations are illustrated. The basket wall is provided with a plurality of radially disposed blades 53 which constitute one set of agitating devices for the machine.

'I'he agitator shaft 48 projects upwardly within the sleeve 42 and beyond the upper end thereof is keyed to a hub sleeve 54 that extends downwardly and surrounds the sleeve 5U. A plurality of radially disposed blades 55 are securedto the sleeve 54. The blades 53 and 55 may possess any desired configuration and any dimensions as regards length and width. Preferably, these blades are vertically disposed and it has been ascertained that good results may be obtained by making the width of each blade 55 approximately twice that of each blade 53. By this arrangement it is possible to substantially balance the masses of water thrust inwardly and outwardly by the blades 53 and 55, respectively, and thus maintain the pieces being washed in the zone between the blades, generally speaking. If the blades 53 and 55 possessed the same width for any given height, then the greater speed of the blades 53, due to their being swung through a longer arc inthe same timeas the blades 55, would impart a thrust to thewater in excess of that created by the inner blades so that the pieces would tend to collect Aaround the hub 54. As many of the respective blades may be employed as desired, but they are preferably equally spaced, respectively, around the basket and the sleeve hub 54.

In describing the operation of my improved machine, it will be rst understood that, 'due to the link connection between the arms 38 and 48, the rotary movement of the arm 2B imparts an oscillatory movement to the arm 4| Vand consequently to the gear and the basket 52. A similar oscillatory movement, but in an opposite direction, is imparted to the sleeve hub 54 and attached blades by reason of the bevel gear mechanism.

Preferably, the blades 53 and 55 are so related that. at the mid-point of their respective swing in any direction, they occupy the relative positions shown generally in Fig. 3. The respective angularity of swing of the blades 53 and 55 is relatively unimportant, since the extent of these swings may be easily controlled by varying the length of the arm 4I, but, in any case, it is considered that best results are obtained by restricting the swing to an angle of less'than ninety degrecs.

During the washing operation, the blades 55 act to propel the cleaning fluid and goods toward the wall of the basket 52, while the blades 53 exert a contrary action. Accordingly, the pieces being washed are prevented from either collecting at the wall of the basket 52, or from being impacted and balled together against the blade hub 54. In effect, the pieces are maintained in the cleaning fluid between the basket wall and the blade hub 54 whileundergoing periodic reversals of movement. At the same time the pieces are subjected to the highly effective scrubbing action of Athe fluid created by the opposite, oscillatory movements of the blades 53 and 55. These movements not only direct the masses of the cleaning fluid along opposite sides of any piece of goods, but also directly through these pieces. The scrubbing action is further enhanced by the impact of masses of water-moving in opposite directions, as set up by the blades 53 and 55. In so far as it is possible to observe the movement of single pieces of material during the washing operation, it is believed that each piece traverses a path generally having the forms of the ilgure 8. Since the goods are not impacted against the basket wall or the sleeve hub 54, the washing action is free of any undue rubbing action by the metallic walls of the basket or hub that would result in wear on the clothes.

. I claim:

l. In a washing machine, the combination o! a receptacle for receiving the pieces to be Washed, at agitating blades carried by the peripheral wall of the receptacle, other flat agitating blades disposed centrally of the receptacle and arranged for movement as a unit, and means for respectively imparting rotary, oscillating movements of equal angular extent in opposite directions to the receptacle and said other agitating blades, all of the blades extending for substantially the depth and for a substantial distance radially of the receptacle, and said other agitating blades having a width substantially twice that of the receptacle blades whereby the inner and outer thrusts exerted on the water by the two groups of blades are substantially balanced.

2. In a washing machine, the combination of a receptacle for receiving the pieces to be washed, flat, rectangular shaped, agitating blades carried by the peripheral wall of the receptacle, other flat, rectangular shaped, agitating blades disposed centrally of the receptacle and arranged for movement as a unit, and means for respectively imparting rotary, oscillatingr movements of equal angular extent in opposite directions to the receptacle and said other agitating blades, all of the blades extending for substantially the depth and for a substantial distance radially of the receptacle, and said other agitating blades having a width substantially twice that of the receptacle blades whereby the inner and outer thrusts exerted on the water by the two groups of blades are substantially balanced.

DENNIS B. D. BLAKE. 

